Saturday, March 30, 2013

Well, tomorrow is Easter. For the followers of Jesus, the Sabbath between Christ's death on Friday and his resurrection on Sunday must have been unbearably sad. I imagine that, after the Sabbath ended at sundown the women who followed Jesus started assembling the spices and whatever other materials they needed to anoint his corpse. Then they lay down to sleep so that they could wake up in time to go to his tomb as soon as there was any morning light.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

This morning, while I was walking the dog, I heard a mourning dove and, of course, some crows and a lot of miscellaneous chirping and twittering that I am not naturalist enough to identify. I saw and heard a duck, coming in for a landing, quacking as she went.

Shoots are coming up for daffodils and hyacinths; some daffodils are already in bloom. And magnolias are bursting out of their sheaths.

Friday, March 22, 2013

I went to the doctor today and received a prescription for an antibiotics for an ear infection. I'm telling you, the fun just never stops.

Actually, I was reflecting, as I drove to the pharmacy, that every time I get a prescription I'm so thankful to live in the present era. When I was 4, I had spinal meningitis. I could have died but antibiotics saved my life. In my late 40s, I had kidney stones several times, causing severe nausea. I received pharmaceuticals to curb the nausea and deaden the pain, and I had a non-invasive procedure called lithotripsy to break up the stones so I could pass them naturally. I slept through the procedure under general anaesthesia. Without modern medicine and procedures, I think I could potentially have died of dehydration from the nausea or from renal failure as the stones interfered with my kidney functions. At the very least, I would have had far more pain and suffering.

Those are just a couple of examples of why I am grateful for medical science. Thank you, researchers, drug developers, doctors, nurses, medical assistants of all kinds, and pharmacists. Heaven bless you.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

My cold is going through its stages. I've had congestion and sneezing, and my voice is so croaky it astonishes my coworkers. Last night I coughed in a manner that would put twenty smokers to shame. I would wake up every hour or so to a strange whistling peeping noise and realize it was my own obstructed breathing passages. Also one ear is plugged up. It's the ear I usually hear better with, so I resemble the old joke "She was deaf in one ear and couldn't hear out of the other one." I tell myself that a cold can't last forever. Today starts day 5; surely the worst must be over.

To add to my joy, the weather forecast is for several days of cold, rainy, windy conditions.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Well. Friday night I started a cold and Saturday, Sunday, and today it has been in full swing. I have very stuffed up sinuses and have to be a mouth-breather to survive. I have not been able to rest and get lots of sleep during this time. It was a good weekend, but busy. So tonight my plan is to go to bed early, have the lights out, and just rest even if I don't fall asleep right away.

I really wish I could breathe better, though. I can't even sniff.

I remember a Mary Tyler Moore episode where she got a bad cold and she said, "A cold is three days coming, three days with you, and three days going." I tried to find it on youtube, but I didn't.

So, soon I will retire to my rest.

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame?how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing?Selah

But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.Stand in awe, and sin not:commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.Selah.

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,and put your trust in the Lord.There be many that say, "Who will shew us any good?: Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

Thou hast put gladness in my heart,more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

When I was in high school, I had a friend who, before I knew her, had a friend in grade school. My friend told me that she and her earlier friend, on Thursdays, would say to each other, "It's Thuhsday, dahling." I thought that was funny and I told my dad about it and he thought it was funny, too. To this day my dad and I will occasionally say to each other, "It's Thuhsday, dahling," even though it's a joke once or twice removed from us, the origins of which are obscure.

Monday's child is fair of face,Tuesday's child is full of grace;Wednesday's child is full of woe,Thursday's child has far to go;Friday's child is loving and giving,Saturday's child works hard for its living;But the child that is born on the Sabbath dayIs bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Today is a dear cloudy day in Lynden, Washington, my home town. When you live in the Pacific Northwest, you learn to love clouds, rain, and mist. Sure, rain gets you down if it persists too long, but then when I lived in California, the hot sun used to get me down if it persisted too long, too, and the rain was refreshing.

Fresh. Is that the word for the ambiance here? It's green and moist and cool and ... what are the words for the lighting? Today there is no glare and no sharp shadows. It's cool and most colors are subdued, except for the greens, which are lush.

I'm going back to the Home & Garden Show this afternoon to hear one of my favorite TV gardeners, Ciscoe Morris, speak. My sister-in-law plans to meet me there.

Yesterday was nice there with my folks. After seeing the sights, we decided to eat in a restaurant. We went to the Dutch Mothers restaurant on Front Street. Afterwards I went into the Dutch Bakery with my mom, so she could get muffins, and then we drove over to Edaleen Dairy on the Guide and I went in with my dad so he could get milk and half & half.

When I was in junior high and high school, I was a John Denver fan. I owned many of his albums. (I probably still own them, but I don't own a turntable, or indeed a stereo of any kind.) He had a song called "Cool and green and shady." It's really more of a summer mood song than early spring like today, but here it is.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Well. I went through my first week at my new job, and I think it's a good fit.

Today is a beautifully sunny day in Lynden, Washington, my home town. (What was it Garrison Keillor would say? "Well, it's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, my hometown, out there on the edge of the prairie.") My plan is to attend the Home & Garden Show at the fairgrounds with my dad and mom, including having lunch at one of the food booths. My dad and I usually have bratwurst. My favorite part to visit is the gardening section, where all the local nurseries and landscapers have beautiful displays set up and flowers are blooming all over the place. It's a little foretaste of heaven, I mean, spring and summer gardens.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

I started a new job this week, which I am very happy about. Still, learning the ropes in a new workplace, trying to make a good impression, trying to establish a new routine are all stressful. So it's happy stress, or stressful happiness.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Spring was more advanced in California than here in Washington. When I took the dog for a walk after I got back, I kept an eye out for forsythia, one of the earliest blooms, but didn't see any.

I did see other signs of spring. My neighbor's crocuses are shooting up:

My contorted filbert has catkins:

This bush by the side of the house is blooming:

I'm not sure what kind of plant that is (above). When I first moved here from California, I thought it was a type of jasmine, because the little white flowers have that strong, sweet smell. But my dad didn't think it was jasmine, although he could not recall what it was.